The Andaman and Nicobar Islands unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) held a press conference at Shyama Prasad Mookerjee Bhavan as part of a nationwide media outreach programme, responding to recent allegations raised by the Congress concerning the Election Commission of India (ECI) and electoral-roll revision.
The press conference was jointly addressed by BJP State Vice Presidents Sheela Singh and R. Vinod, State Spokesperson Jijith Rekh, and State Media Convenor SP Elango.
On the press conference, SP Elango said BJP units across the country were holding simultaneous media interactions on the issue. He criticised what he described as repeated attempts by the Congress to question the functioning of constitutional institutions, particularly the Election Commission.
Referring to recent discussions surrounding Form 6, Elango said the ECI had clarified that there was no structural change to the form, while an additional provision relating to supporting documents had been enabled. The ECI currently lists Form 6 as the application used for registration of new voters.
Elango also questioned the Congress's allegations concerning electoral processes and referred to earlier political controversies, including those relating to Rafale, surgical strikes and other issues. These remarks were part of the BJP's political response to the allegations raised by the opposition party.
State Vice President Sheela Singh discussed the Special Summary Revision and related electoral-roll procedures. She said the BJP was concerned about what she described as misleading information being circulated through sections of the media and social media.
Sheela Singh also referred to the historical functioning of electoral institutions and questioned why similar concerns were not raised during earlier governments. She contrasted the present electoral system with past instances of booth capturing, while asserting that electoral processes have become more transparent.
On reports concerning communications involving officials deputed to the Election Commission, Sheela Singh said the issue related to dissatisfaction with certain deputed officers and their subsequent transfers, rather than wrongdoing by the Election Commission as an institution.
BJP State Spokesperson Jijith Rekh spoke about electoral-roll revision in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. He said the revision process involved verification of voter entries and removal of entries considered unverified or duplicated.
Rekh also raised concerns over what he described as the possibility of ineligible persons obtaining official documents and subsequently entering electoral rolls. He stressed the need for proper verification so that electoral rolls contain eligible voters.
The Election Commission's official SIR material confirms that the Andaman and Nicobar Islands were included in the Special Intensive Revision exercise and that the process involved enumeration, draft-roll publication, claims and objections, and subsequent verification.
Rekh further rejected reports of internal differences within the Election Commission and said the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners operate within the legal framework governing the Commission.
The BJP leaders urged the media and the public, particularly young people, to verify information before sharing material on electoral matters. They also criticised the circulation of what they described as misleading short-form content and unverified narratives on social media.
